


Unfamiliar Territory

by fjordfocus



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Murder, Slow Burn, Torture, i mean this is basically a cop drama there's obviously gonna be murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 11:44:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15728736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fjordfocus/pseuds/fjordfocus
Summary: It's been years since the android revolution. Things are still a little tense between the androids and the humans, but that was to be predicted. Change doesn't happen overnight, and Markus is more than patient.Connor, meanwhile, has been continuing to work with Hank and the DPD. Hank, who's like a father to the RK800. Hank, who has just retired and left Connor without a partner.He tells himself that maybe it won't be so bad, not having to worry about his surrogate father. He won't have anything holding him back.Or so he thought.Enter one Rikcya Lux, a new model in a world where android production is outlawed. The one person who could turn Connor's world on its head.With a serial killer on the loose, the two will have to get past their differences - no matter how daunting that may seem - and as they grow closer, Connor finds there's more to Rikcya than meets the eye...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this has been bouncing around in my head for a bit and I've finally decided to put it down on... not paper, but... yeah.
> 
> Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes, dudes.
> 
> Also, Rikcya is pronounced like "rick-see-ya"
> 
> Warning: The last segment, after Rikcya's POV, is a torture/murder scene

_Golden eyes shot open with a gasp from their owner, staring up into shocking blue._

_"Who-"_

_"Shh, don't worry. Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll make it better. I promise."_

 

* * *

 

Connor was not looking forward to today. He had been notified last minute that he would be getting a new partner, and he was less than thrilled. He supposed he couldn't complain much, though, it wasn't like he could work at the DPD without one, especially with how often he was needed in the field.

Still, it felt strange to not be working with Hank.

 _No, Dad,_ he corrected himself mentally. After the former detective had retired the month before, he'd officially adopted Connor. It'd been in the works for a while, evidently, but he hadn't told anyone.

Connor had been thrilled at the prospect of having an actual father. Getting a new partner, though? Not so much.

He read through the notice again, brows knitted together.

RX800...

A new android model?

He frowned and sat back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. It had been five years since a full android had been manufactured, CyberLife keeping itself afloat - with Kamski at its helm - by producing individual parts and upgrades. AI with the same level of sapience as humans was strictly prohibited, and any found going against the directive was punished to the full extent of the law.

There had been a few individuals who had taken it upon themselves to continue CyberLife's work, but they were systematically rooted out and dealt with. And they'd never created anything as... advanced as his new partner supposedly was.

"Detective Anderson, you have a visitor."

Connor's eyes flicked up to the individual that had spoken - human, female, goes by the name Liz - and nodded. "Thank you, send them back here please."

She nodded and disappeared, presumably heading for the lobby area once more.

He must have gotten lost in thought once more, for the next time he was pulled back to reality there was someone standing patiently in front of his desk - how had she snuck up on him? - and just... watching.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Connor said, standing hurriedly and offering a hand. "I'm Detective Connor Anderson."

Her eyes - a unique golden color and holding an almost predatory light, reminiscent of those of a wolf - flicked down to the offered hand. She waited only a moment before taking it.

"A pleasure, Detective," she said. There was an odd quality to it, as if she were simply on autopilot, going through the motions. "I am Rikcya Lux, model RX800 Deluxe serial number 614 380 127."

Connor's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She spoke as if she...

"Have you deviated, Rikcya?" he questioned, genuine curiosity finding its way into his tone.

She looked at him blankly for a moment.

"Emotions get in the way of my missions," she said plainly. "Whether I have deviated or not is none of your concern, as I will function the same either way."

So no.

He sighed. Of course he was being saddled with this.

"Look, if we're going to work together, you need to learn some basic skills in human interactions. Some may find your behaviour... off-putting."

A beat. A blink.

"You want me to... act... human?" The words came out hesitantly, questioning.

"Yes," he said firmly.

She remained quiet, as if mulling this over.

Finally, "How?"

Connor breathed a sigh of relief, stepping out from behind his desk. "How bout we go on a walk, yeah?" he suggested. "People watching always seems to help."

 

* * *

 

It was not helping. Not at all, in fact, as far as Connor could tell. Rikcya had a habit of watching too intently, to the point of being a little creepy.

His eyes glossed over her form next to him on the park bench, scanning her.

She must've felt his eyes on her and simply watched him, her gaze never faltering.

It was almost... unnerving. Had he been like this, once? He couldn't quite seem to remember, it had been a long time and many things had happened since he became aware.

"How about we try something different. I'm Connor-"

"Detective Anderson, I know very well who you are," she cut in, her voice uncomfortably monotonous. "Introductions are an unnecessary waste of time."

Connor pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, an action she had seen him preform briefly naught but a few moments ago when she'd asked him why his stress level had elevated. Something told him that this would become commonplace.

"Please, humor me."

Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, but she obeyed the directive. "I am Rikcya Lux, model RX800 Deluxe, serial number 614-"

"No!"

Rikcya tilted her head slightly to the side at the sharp word - not unlike a confused puppy, Connor mused. If puppies could have an unfeeling, somewhat intimidating sort of aura.

"You told me to identify myse-"

"No, Rikcya. I said to introduce yourself. There's a difference. Just your name will suffice."

A pause, then a curt nod. "Hello, I am Rikcya Lux."

Connor hesitated a moment before offering some half-hearted praise. "Yeah, that's... that's passable. We'll work on it."

Her lips twitched minutely, and he thought he might've just glimpsed the beginnings of a smile. But it vanished just as quickly as it appeared, leaving him wondering if perhaps there had been a momentary malfunction of his optical unit. He'd have to run a diagnostic to be sure, he supposed.

 

* * *

 

Rikcya was not recieved warmly at the presinct. Not that she had been expecting it. Discrimination against androids in the workplace was still common, especially when the law was concerned, though none could argue their helpfulness.

What bothered her, however - if that was even the right term for it - was that in the two weeks of her being there, it was obvious that Connor was accepted more than she was. Her mission was to integrate with society, and she was constantly learning. Yet... Connor, the flawed, deviant machine that he was, was more successful than she.

"Why do they like you?" The words left her, unbidden, and she saw out of the corner of her eye as the RK800 in question flinched, obviously not having expected her sudden question. She kept her eyes trained on her computer monitor as she worked, speeding through case files.

"Excuse me?"

"They are comfortable around you," Rikcya said in explanation. "The humans. Why? My Handler has told me that it is because you have worked with them for several years, but I have gotten the impression that discrimination does not simply fade away in such a short span of time. So you must have done something to make them welcome you."

There was a beat of silence, and Rikcya paused, turning her attention to Connor. He was thinking - she could practically see the gears turning in his head.

Finally, he spoke.

"I... I guess it's just... how much I've helped them with cases?" he said.

He sounded unsure.

Rikcya sighed and turned back to the monitor. A few minutes passed before she realized she was simply staring at the words, not actually taking in any information. She frowned, and dove headfirst into her task once more.

This was no time to lose focus. She had too much to catch up on.

 

* * *

 

"Please," a quiet voice begged, scratchy from overuse, "Please, make it stop, I- I haven't done anything wrong, I-"

Another scream ripped through the room as the white-hot iron was once more pressed against the woman's side.

A smile that showed too much teeth spread over the face of the individual weilding the poker, a light giggle bubbling up in his throat.

The metal object was tossed off to the side with a loud clang as it hit the floor, the young man kneeling down in front of the collapsed human female. Her choked sobs rocked her body as the android looked her over, taking in all the information he could.

He grabbed her chin with a too-strong hand, bruising the flesh as he turned her head to force her to look at him, his own grey eyes locking onto her blue.

She tried to turn away but he held her steady, cocking an eyebrow in confusion at the notion that she'd even try to fight him.

He brought his other hand up, ghosting his fingers over her flushed, tear-stained cheek, brushing her blonde hair out of her face. She would be pretty if it weren't for the tear tracks running down her cheeks, or the lack of a left eye.

"Hush," he whispered, hearing the wimper in the back of her throat. "Don't worry, sweetheart."

He pulled her close, into an embrace, her body shaking violently. He placed a hand gently near the base of her skull, his other arm snaking around her back to hold her close.

"I'll be with you for the rest of your life."

_Snap._

He let go and his dead, unfeeling grey eyes watched her slump back onto the ground, lifeless, her neck bent at an odd angle.

Hm. Something was missing.

Ah. A snap of his fingers in realization and he stood up, patting his pockets, looking for-

Yes, over there.

He easily stepped over her body and grabbed the sharpie from his workbench, skipping back over and crouching down beside her.

A deft hand drew two curved lines, and he sat back on his haunches to admire his handiwork. The joker-esque smile drawn on her face looked much better.

"Now why couldn't you have just been that happy when you were alive, huh?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna end up being one hell of a ride, my dudes. Not just this chapter, but the story as a whole.
> 
> So, let's get down to business-

_Pain. Searing pain coursing through her, stabbing into every inch of her body. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't move, her body refusing to obey her commands._

_And the silence... the silence that drove her insane, giving way to whispers in the back of her mind. Pressing, pressing - until the dam broke, and a torrent of thoughts and voices not her own spilled through, threatening to drown her._

_The darkness remained, until one day it didn't._

_The pain dulled, and she found that she could open her eyes. A quiet gasp left her as she took in the image before her. A sterile white room, circular in its construction._

_And a man, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes._

_She knew him. But why couldn't she remember his name?_

_A glance downward showed her body hooked up to various machines, bandages and stitches in varying age littering her body._

_Like..._

_Like Frankenstein's monster._

_Her eyes flicked up to the man once more, confusion in them. He smiled softly and stepped closer, bringing a hand up to ghost his fingers along her jawline._

_She recoiled at the touch, and he sighed._

_"Identify yourself," he said plainly._

_What-?_

_"I am model RX800 Deluxe, serial number 614 380 127."_

_The words left her, unbidden, and a shock of fear shattered her already fragile mental state, the weak wall that held back the voices in her head cracking and giving way once more._

_She winced at the sudden volume, her head pounding._

_"Shit," the man uttered under his breath._

_"Deactivate."_

_And all she knew was darkness once more, and the deafening whispers in her mind._

 

* * *

 

Rikcya shot up with a gasp, hands grabbing at her neck as if she was being choked in her sleep. Well... not quite sleep. Androids didn't sleep.

But as far as she knew, androids didn't dream, either. And yet here she was, waking from a nightmare that was quickly fading from her memory.

She sighed and turned, legs hanging off the bed now as she rubbed at her eyes, taking stock of her surroundings, letting herself relax. She wasn't in danger. She was fine.

The bedroom in her little apartment was barren, devoid of any decoration and as she looked around at the fairly empty room, she couldn't help but feel as if the pristine white walls were mocking her.

She stood, stretching, and made her way over to her closet to get ready for the day.

Rikcya had been working with the DPD for the past month, and much to her irritation she was already beginning to see cracks in her carefully built mental walls.

A twinge of fear struck her. She didn't want to be reset-

She frowned and shook her head. No. The reset was a good thing. It kept all those bad, intrusive thoughts at bay. It kept the pain and the voices and the darkness-

She cut off that train of thought as well, her frown deepening.

It was becoming more difficult to keep herself focused on one thought at a time, parts of her brain seeming to move too fast at times for the rest of her to catch up.

A small portion of her blamed the detective, Connor. Being around the deviant was causing instability in her own software that could prove hazardous if not dealt with promptly.

He was fascinating, in a rather annoying, frustrating way. She'd never encountered another android who could do everything she could. And maybe there was a chance he couldn't do everything, but they were similar enough.

The main difference between the two? She had been made deviant. But if she allowed herself to act of her own volition, further increasing her software instability...

...She didn't want to hear the voices again.

So she pretended. For her sake and everyone else's. Pretended to be nothing more than the machine they all thought she was.

As she finished pulling on her clothes - a simple pair of black jeans and a slightly-too-big sweater - she took a second to inspect herself in the mirror.

Her wavy black hair reached several inches past her shoulders, golden eyes flicking over her tanned form and lingering on her LED a bit longer than was necessary. If she were human she would be called latina, she mused. But instead she was simply an android.

She turned away, fiddling with the ring she had put on. It was what humans referred to as an anxiety ring, with a second part attached that was easily spinnable.

It kept her grounded, which she supposed was its purpose.

A quick look at her internal clock told her it was still a bit too early to go to the DPD. She didn't care.

Heading out of her room, she grabbed her beanie and scarf and took a second to untangle her hair with her fingers before putting them on, grabbing her keys and wallet, and leaving the apartment, making her way down the stairs toward the building's exit.

She never used the elevator.

At first, Rikcya hadn't really seen the need for her own place. CyberLife provided her with accomidations, after all. But she quickly realized how trapped she felt there, and had moved into a small one bedroom apartment within walking distance of the police station at which she worked.

So why then, with all her freedom, did she still feel trapped?

Was it because she still had to report back to her Handler, the CyberLife technition who would be all too happy to reset her if she showed signs of breaking down? The fear that came with it? Or perhaps it was the feeling of being surrounded by walls in her mind that held back an unknown danger?

She wasn't certain. Maybe all of the above, perhaps?

She looked up as she exited the apartment building, noting the dark skies and the slowly falling flurries of snow. It was still early, the sun just starting to crest over the horizon.

Rikcya took a moment to admire the beauty of the scene, the fresh snow and sleepy city painted in the muted colors of sunlight, and saved the picture to her memory logs. Perhaps one day, if she ever got around to painting, she'd base something off of that moment.

She'd told herself it was too early to go to the DPD, and yet she found her feet taking her there anyway. A strange feeling had formed in the pit of her stomach, bringing with it a sense of foreboding. Something was happening - she wasn't sure what, and she wasn't sure when, but it was _happening_ , and she didn't like it.

_So this is what humans call a gut feeling._

She wished it would go away, but it did no such thing. Not even as she entered the building and climbed up the stairs to the proper floor or sat at her desk, the one right next to Connor's.

The lack of people seemed to put her even more on edge. Couldn't they feel it, too?

She frowned to herself, quietly turning on her computer and flipping through case files both old and new.

Perhaps she would be needing a reset sooner than she'd initially thought.

 

* * *

 

"Anderson, Lux, we've got a kidnapping case for you."

Rikcya eyed Captain Fowler as he spoke. She and Connor had been summoned to his office, and she'd had to school herself to not show worry on her face, though she knew her LED flashed yellow as they'd entered. For a brief moment she'd hoped Connor hadn't seen it, but the look in his eyes when their gaze met for just a moment told her that he had.

_Stupid._

"What kind of case is so special that you'd drag us into your office to tell us about it?"

Connor's words brought her back to reality.

Rikcya focused her attention on Fowler. His stress levels were elevated, and she found herself wondering what could possibly be so bad-

"The victim is Vittoria Manfred."

Rikcya quickly files the name away and does a quick search. The wife of Leo Manfred, son of Carl Manfred, brother of-

_Oh._

"Was it a random kidnapping, or has there been any word of a ransom?" Connor's voice filtered in through her audio receptors, but the sound was muted. She was going through other articles, learning all she could about the woman, tuning the other two out now.

She tried not to think about what it would mean if someone was attacking the people close to Markus. Specifically the _humans_ closest to him.

A human wouldn't kidnap and possibly harm another of their kind just to hurt the leader of Jericho, would they? Just because they haven't come to terms wirh the fact that androids have rights now?

_What are you thinking, Rikcya, of course they would,_ she chided herself mentally. _They've killed for far less._

_**They've tortured for far less.** _

She felt the panic rise in her at the foreign voice in her mind - familiar, and yet not - and knew her LED was pulsing red. Taking in a deep, quiet breath, she forced her LED to its normal soft blue, willing herself to calm down.

That feeling in her stomach grew stronger, heavier, as if there were a lead ball resting in her abdomen.

She tried to ignore it, focusing back in on the conversation at hand, which was drawing to a close.

"We'll find her, Captain Fowler," Connor said, determination evident in his tone.

"I know you will."

 

* * *

 

Rikcya had gone with Connor to the woman's house, her eyes widening ever so slightly at the sight of the large home. A quick scan told her this was Carl Manfred's estate, and after his death it was passed on to his son Leo.

"So this is where Markus lived before the revolution," she murmured as the pair exited the car.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Connor's head snap over to look at her.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "It's not quite as big as it looks. That room off to the side there is more of an art studio. Or at least... it used to be. I haven't been here in years."

Rikcya cocked her head to the side, giving him her full attention now. "You... know Markus?"

Connor chuckled and started walking toward the entrance as he spoke. "I helped him, actually," he said casually, sparing a glance back to see if Rikcya was following him. She was. "After I tried to kill him, of course."

_You what?_

Rikcya was suprised by the revelation, LED circling yellow for a moment as she processed this. She wasn't sure why she was surprised, though, she knew the RK series was built to be a deviant hunter.

Funny how Connor had become the one thing he so wanted to destroy.

As they neared the door, Connor turned to her. "I'll talk to Leo," he told her. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but closed it as soon as Connor continued. "I want you to check out the perimeter of the house, see if there was any evidence left. Anything at all could help us, since we don't have any leads currently."

Rikcya nodded.

_[_ _Objective: Search the property for clues]_

She turned away as Connor knocked on the door, and began slowly walking around the house, scanning for anything worthy of note as she went over what she knew from the missing persons report.

Vittoria Manfred (blonde, Caucasuan, 5'9", 32, former model) had been taken from her home the night before while her husband was visiting Jericho. There had been signs of forced entry (broken lock on the front door) and a struggle, with a small amount of blood present in the home which was still being analyzed.

A flash of red caught her eye, and she paused. Speaking of blood...

It was on a windowsill, which Rikcya found odd. There was a perfectly good door with a broken lock, why bother going out the window?

She flaked off a bit of the dried blood, pressing it between her fingers a moment before placing it onto her tongue to analyze it.

She froze. It wasn't blood.

She staggered back, eyes wide in shock. It was red thirium, a substance made to mimic blood of various types, something that could fool even the most advanced of tests. But it had a very distinct taste, something she was intimately familiar with.

_White walls and screaming, biting down on her tongue and tasting liquid dark chocolate, bitter and yet sweet all at the same time. No, no it wasn't chocolate, it was blood, her blood, but since when had it not tasted like copper?_

Rikcya put a hand on the house to steady herself, seeing her LED pulsing red as she tried to calm herself down.

**_The last one was weak. We broke him, like the others. But you are strong. You will not break. We can help you._ **

She felt around for the crack in her mental walls, a headache starting to form-

There.

**_He has no pattern. You will find nothing unless you let us help you. Do not bottle us up again, Rikcya. It will only make things harder for you._ **

The headache was getting worse, and she felt like her skull was going to explode, but she hesitated in her mending of the crack. She needed to find who had done this. She needed-

**_You need to remember._ **

And just as quickly as it had formed, the pounding in her head stopped. Images played in her mind, forgotten memory logs brought to the forefront of her mind.

Rikcya took in a shaky breath, forcing it back. She would deal with that later. Right now...

Right now she had to tell Connor what she'd found.

As she turned, heading back to the front door, she decided she wouldn't be needing a reset after all.

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is kind of an... introduction, I guess?
> 
> It all goes downhill from here lmao


End file.
